Saints v Crows snippets

Star Man
The out-of-contract Nick Riewoldt showed what a gaping hole he would leave at centre half-forward if he were to leave St Kilda at the end of the season. The star Saint blitzed Kris Massie and Scott Stevens to finish the game with two goals and 18 marks, including two clutch grabs in the dying stages of the match.

What a Goal!
In his best game for his new club, Shane Birss kicked a classic rover's goal in the first quarter. With the Saints under huge pressure, Birss swooped on a loose ball 35 out and from metres inside the boundary snapped around the corner to dribble through a vacant goal square.

Classic Grab
Crows ruckman Ivan Maric took a hanger on Nick Riewoldt's shoulder in the second term but for importance none matched Justin Koschitzke's in the final quarter. Pushed up forward, Koschitzke, with Ken McGregor doing his best to harass and man-handle him, hauled in a powerful overhead mark before goaling to put the Saints two goals up.

Unsung Hero
The injury-prone Saint also had the jaws St Kilda fans agape in horror when he threw caution to the wind to mark a ball intended for a rampaging Mark Ricciuto. Despite suffering a fractured skull last year, Koschitzke, whose peripheral vision has been questioned, did not flinch to take a desperate relieving mark.

Absolute Shocker
Massie's match turned for the worse in the second term when Riewoldt got on top. And this was best illustrated minutes before half time. Exhausted after chasing the indefatigable Saint for the entire half, Massie picked up the loose ball just metres wide of the behind post and could not even summons the energy to disguise a stumble as he ran over the boundary line, giving the umpire no choice but to penalise him for a deliberate out of bounds.

Turning Point
The Saints lifted their work rate after quarter time and beat Adelaide at Adelaide's game. They outran the Crows and suffocated them across the midfield to turn a 17-point deficit at the first change into a stirring victory.